Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Lyrical Press (October 1, 2019)
Number of Pages ~195

Synopsis

Exotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake is nervous about her new job at the White Pine Wolf Preserve, but it turns out that the care and feeding of wild carnivores may be the least dangerous part of the gig . . .

Pet-sitter Belinda Blake is no stranger to dealing with wild animals, but she’s wary when the owner of the Greenwich, Connecticut, preserve asks her to help out with her “fluffy darlings.” Her caution seems justified on her very first day, when she discovers a tour guide—dead, bloodied, and surrounded by wolves in the enclosure.

Was it death by predator or something more sinister? The body count rises, but something’s not adding up. As she gets to know the rescued wolves and wolf-dog hybrids better, Belinda realizes that her human colleagues are not above suspicion. With help from her own “pack”—her pregnant sister, Red the chauffeur/bodyguard, and hunky farmer Jonas—Belinda is hot on the killer’s tail, but if she doesn’t find him soon, he’ll do more than muzzle her to keep the truth from escaping.

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Review

What a wonderful followup book in this series.  I’ve really grown to like Belinda and her investigative skills, even if she ends up in the hot seat more than she expected.

The story is engaging and I like that Belinda seeks out petsitting for exotic pets.  The first book was a snake and in this book, it is helping at a wolf preserve.  All is going well until an employee turns up dead in what appears to be a wolf attack.  There are other unfortunate incidents at the preserve and there are multiple suspects to consider and motives.  I was surprised when the killer was revealed as I didn’t really suspect this character as a killer.  Yes, something unusual was happening but we don’t really know what.  There are several possibilities but no character stood out to me until the end when Belinda finds herself in the crosshairs of the killer.

Outside of the mystery, I really enjoy Belinda’s character and her multiple talents.  Who else could review video games and be an exotic pet sitter at the same time?!  A potential career change is suggested to her at the end of the book and she is seriously considering the change.  I’m not going to tell you what, you’ll have to read the book and find out.  Belinda also has some love interests…although I am perplexed at the potential relationship with Jonas because I thought in the first book he was in a relationship with someone else.  Perhaps he broke up with that woman and I just don’t remember…that is very possible as many books as I read!

Overall we give this book 5 paws up and await the next book in this series.

About the Author

Heather Day Gilbert, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Like Belinda Blake, Heather plays video games, although so far she hasn’t done any exotic pet-sitting or hunted any murderers.

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